1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video apparatus, and more particularly, to a method for displaying a menu for searching Internet sites of a video apparatus having an Internet function such as an Internet television or a television connected to an armored set-top box.
2. Description of the Background Art
The Internet through a television is commonly used. There exist Internet sites, whose number is much larger than the number of common broadcast channels. The Internet sites are currently increasing in a geometrical progression. Also, in order to connect the Internet through the television, an armored set-top box is connected to the television or the television equipped with an Internet module is connected to a telephone line, a local area network (LAN), or a high-speed dedicated line. At this time, the structures of the set-top box and the Internet module loaded in the television are identical to each other excluding that the locations of the set-top box and the Internet module loaded in the television are different from each other.
The structure of the armored set-top box of the television having the Internet function will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a set-top box connected to a television according to a conventional technology.
As shown in FIG. 1, a set-top box 10 connected to a television 15 includes a network interface 17 for transmitting and receiving video and audio information through a network such as the telephone line, the LAN, or the Internet dedicated line, a user input interface 16 for receiving a user request signal output from a key input unit 18 such as a wireless keyboard, a remote controller, or a wireless mouse, a memory 11 for storing user set information, basic operation programs, or temporary information, an audio processor 13 for signal processing audio information input to the network interface 17 and outputting the audio information to a speaker (not shown) of the television 15, a video processor 14 for signal processing video information input to the network interface 17 and outputting the video information to the Braun tube of the television 15, and a microcomputer 12 for controlling the respective components in the set-top box in accordance with the user request signal. The operation of the set-top box 10 connected to the television will now be described.
When a user selects an Internet mode during viewing a broadcast program through the television 15, the set-top box 10 receives the video and audio signals of a predetermined Internet site that is previously set according to the control of the microcomputer 12 through the network interface 17 and transmits the video and audio signals to the television 15 after performing a series of signal processes through the video processor 14 and the audio processor 13 inside the set-top box 10.
The television 15 outputs the video and audio signals to the Braun tube and the speaker of the television 15 through a video and audio processor (not shown) inside the television 15. The user can select a predetermined Internet site by inputting a desired Internet address through the key input unit 18, that is, a wireless keyboard. The video and audio signal corresponding to the selected Internet site is signal processed in the set-top box and is output to the Braun tube and the speaker of the television 15.
In the case of the television, in which the Internet module is loaded, a method of displaying the Internet site is the same.
However, in a conventional technology, the user cannot easily search or select the Internet sites on a television screen because the plurality of Internet sites are not systematically managed. That is, in the television having the Internet function according to the conventional technology, it is not possible to systematically manage the Internet sites desired by the user among a plurality of Internet sites and to easily search, select, or edit the Internet sites on the television screen, it is inconvenient to use the Internet.